Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Tricolor Halva for Independence Day


Recipe from:
http://yumsiliciousbakes.blogspot.com/2010/08/tricolor-halva-for-independence-day.html

This recipe is usually made according to ratio, so that you can scale up and down as you want. To fill an 8 inch cake pan 3/4 of the way - follow the amounts I've given below. Feel free to change the cup size as you want, and follow the recipe. You get about 4 times the volume of the cup used.


1 cup suji [semolina]
2/3 - 1 cup ghee [I prefer using 2/3, it's still pretty buttery, but now overpoweringly so]
1/4 cup raisins/cashews [optional]
1 1/3 cup sugar
3 cups water/milk, as per preference [Water gives a lighter, more traditional halva, milk makes it richer, creamier. I usually use 2 cups water : 1 cup milk]
3-4 drops orange color
3-4 drops green color


Instructions -
1.  Divide the water/milk mixture into 3 parts, color 2 of them orange and green respectively. Leave one plain. Keep the orange and green mixtures in wide pans, they will go on the stove later.
2.  In a kadai [wok shaped pan], over medium hear, dry roast the suji for about 5 minutes to bring out the flavor. Constantly stir throughout the halva process, otherwise it will burn.
3.  Add the ghee, and let it brown, about 15 minutes.
4.  Add in the raisins and cashews or whatever else you choose, cook for a minute.
5.  Reduce the heat to slow, mix in the sugar, and immediately divide into 3 parts, add one each to the orange and green liquid containing pans. Add the plain water/milk mixture to the remaining part.
6.  According to your desired order of layering, decide the order of semolina mixtures to be cooked. Since I would invert the pan later, I chose orange first.
7.  Cook the orange mixture until it thickens , and leaves the sides of the pan. Layer onto a prepared pan, or ring mould while hot, it will be easiest to handle.
8.  Now cook the white mixture and then green mixture until ready, layer them both while hot, packing well, and then invert the entire thing. The halva has enough ghee that it will come out easily, and if you pack it well enough, it won't crumble either. When refrigerated, it will look like above, when hot, it will be crumbly, and delicious :)
9.  Serve warm [usually served in bowls, not packed like above], keep in the refrigerator for a tleast a week.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

EGG FRIED RICE


2 eggs
3 cups cooked rice
1 stalk spring onion
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp MSG (optional)
1/2 tsp white pepper
½  tsp sesame oil
1-2 tsp light soya sauce
Oil for cooking
          
METHOD:

Beat the eggs well, add pinch of salt.

Finely chop the spring onions.

Break up the rice so it is not all stuck together.

Heat up oil, add in the eggs.
 
Stir until all the eggs solidify.

Break the eggs into smaller pieces with the spatula.

Add the rice & mix well.

Add MSG, white pepper, say sauce, sesame
oil & salt to taste.

Stir for 3-5 minutes until everything is cooked well. 

Mix in the spring onion & serve.

THAI SPICY PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE



2 eggs + pinch of salt & pepper
(Scramble the eggs until cooked,
dish out & set aside)

2 cups cooked rice (left overnight)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp chilly paste
50 gm shelled prawns
50 gm chicken meat diced
30 gm  frozen mixed vegetables
100 gm pineapple diced
3 bird’s eye chilies chopped
Oil for cooking

 Seasoning:

1-2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper

Method:

Heat up oil in a wok, add garlic, onion
fry until light brown add chilly paste &
saute until fragrant.

Add chicken, prawns, mixed vegetables
fry for another few minutes, mix the rice,
toss briskly to combine over fairly high heat.

Add seasoning & put in pineapple, birds eye
chilies & stir-fry briskly until rice is heated
through, return the scrambled eggs to the
wok & toss well to combine.

Dish out rice & serve hot

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

CARAMEL PUDDING CAKE


CARAMEL:

60g Sugar
1 + 2 tbsp Water

Mix sugar with 1 tbsp water.

Stir on stove until it turns golden & off fire.

Add in 2 tbsp water & stir until no lumpy.

Pour into a greased tin.


PUDDING:
          
500ml Fresh Milk
70g Sugar
4 Eggs
Vanilla essence

Mix milk & sugar & stir on fire until sugar is melted.
In a separate bowl, beat lightly egg & vanilla essence 
(careful not to let the egg frothy otherwise the pudding 
texture will have holes).

Pour into the tin on top of the caramel.


CAKE:

2 Eggs - split yolk/white
60g Castor Sugar
70g Flour
20g Butter - melted

Beat egg whites with ½ of the sugar until stiff.

In a separate bowl beat egg yolk with the
remaining ½ of the sugar until thick.

Mix the two together.

Fold in flour & lastly add in butter & mix well.

Pour onto pudding mixture.

Bake in a water bath 170C for 40 minutes.

Cool completely before turning it out from the tin.
Served chilled or at room temperature.